A meeting with the delegation from the Guangdong Province of the People's Republic of China at the Kazan City Hall

The participants discussed developments in the cultural sphere

The delegation of the People's Congress of Guangdong Province of the People's Republic of China arrived in Kazan to exchange experience in the development of the cultural sphere. Today, they met with representatives of the Kazan Executive Committee at the City Hall. The participants presented their projects, and handed over to the Executive Committee a drawing with Chinese calligraphy, which is included in the representative list of UNESCO intangible cultural heritage.

“This meeting provides another opportunity to strengthen the bonds that have been forged between our countries over the years. The delegation from Kazan has visited Guangdong Province on numerous occasions, and we appreciate your unique culture, we know that you pay special attention on preserving it. In return, Kazan carefully safeguards cultural heritage sites and imparts new meaning to them,” - said Evgenia Lodvigova, Vice Mayor of Kazan.

Currently, the capital of Tatarstan boasts approximately 500 cultural sites, including two UNESCO World Heritage sites (the Kremlin and Astronomical Observatory of the Kazan Federal University).

The Head of the Department of Culture, Azat Abzalov, shared the experience in the development of the cultural sphere in Kazan. He said that the capital of Tatarstan is a leader in the cultural industry and has created and modernized all the necessary infrastructure. Today, almost every recreational center has recording studios, concert halls, and choreographic rooms.

A lot of attention is also paid to preserving intangible cultural heritage. In 2019, Kazan became part of the UNESCO network of creative cities in music. The city hosts mane international events.

The experience of the development of Guangdong Province was presented by Liu Xiaoyi, the Chairman of the Committee on Education, Science, Culture, and Health of the People's Congress. He emphasized that the province is making significant efforts to improve local legislation regarding the provision of services, the construction of facilities, and the protection of intangible cultural heritage.

Presently, Guangdong has 76 arts troupes, covering a wide range of artistic categories. Each year, they produce more than 40 major productions. The province has eight local laws and regulations governing the cultural sector, and in 2024, several documents were amended to ensure fair and high-quality service provision in this sphere.

There is one UNESCO World Heritage Site in the province –the Dyalou Towers in Kaiping City. The representative list of UNESCO's intangible cultural heritage includes Cantonese opera, playing the guqin (seven-stringed plucked musical instrument), Guangdong paper clippings, Liufeng Shadow Theater, Chaozhou tea ceremony and others. So, the participants of the meeting were able to see Chinese calligraphy drawing. Liu Xiaoyi handed over the image of the Executive Committee of the city.

In conclusion, Evgenia Lodvigova invited the delegates to join the Association of Cities and Municipalities of the BRICS+ countries. The Association was established in June, and is headed by Ilsur Metshin, the Mayor of Kazan.